The 3 Things I Wish I Knew When I Was a New Lolita in the Fashion

Shh, it's a secret!

Lolita fashion is wonderful, magical, elegant and expressive. Once you discover this fashion, the journey can be best described as taking a tumble down the rabbit hole. There are so many new brands to explore, fashion terminology to learn, and lolita coordinate photos to see! It takes numerous hours of research to grasp even an ounce of the fashion. The journey is a fun one!

Every journey starts at the beginning, and the best sort of journey begins with some excellent advice. There are many things I wish I knew before I started on my lolita journey.

​Here are my top three pieces of advice to my past self and new members of lolita.

©Misako Aoki, Tokyo Fashion.com

1. Brand is obtainable!

When you go onto your favorite brand websites, it is completely understandable that the prices that display in the shops are quite intimidating. Do not worry. There are many ways you can wear name brand lolita fashion at an affordable price. From secondhand shops to sales, here are some options:

​♦ Lolita name brands have sales throughout the year,
so you can save big on your favorite lolita essentials.

​♦ Lace Market is a great place to find new and gently used items.
Lolita Desu, Wunderwelt, ClosetChild, and Takoyakico are other great online shops as well!

♦ Trades are always a great way to get something new.

​♦ Brands offer "Fukubukuro" or "Lucky Packs" at the end of the year.
These packs include apparel and accessories at an extreme discount!

Lolita fashion has a good resale value. If you purchase something you no longer want, or that does not fit your particular style or size, you are able to resell the item or trade it for another piece easily.
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2. Do not be afraid to experiment

Fashion only grows because of people who push the defined boundaries and experiment with the style. While there are very defined aesthetic rules required to make lolita, well, lolita, the need to stay interesting and integrate new styles keeps the fashion fresh, new and exciting! There have been many trends in mainstream and other kawaii fashion styles that have made their way into Lolita fashion.
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A french peignoir has been added from other popular Harajuku fashions, such as fairy kei and mori kei, into lolita recently. This beautiful airy overly is often made of a light and breathable fabric, such as organza. Flower crowns have also made an appearance in lolita! This recent fashion trend features lovely false silk flowers with every addition from leaves to pearls. They are certainly a delicate and beautiful accessory, particularly if you have a floral print in your lolita coordinate.

Both of these trends are just examples of recent additions to lolita. There are numerous additions that have been added to take Lolita to the next level. If no one added something new to this wonderful street fashion, the fashion would slowly fade. Do experiment and add new ideas to this  style!

French Peignoir

Flower Crown

​3. Do what feels right

There are limitless videos, blogs and forum posts that act as advice about fashion. Many of these sources suggest you should start with a skirt if you have not worn the style before. Many sources suggest you should buy a one-piece dress to start with. Many of these sources state you should buy off-brand or indie brand pieces to get you started or to stick to a style to grow your wardrobe. All these suggestions are great advice! It is always good to view your options and seek a second opinion.

©Gothic & Lolita Bible

What about my advice? My advice is simple: do what feels right for you! If you think you should start out small when you want to start a fashion, do it. Do you want to purchase your dream dress? Do it. Do you want to try multiple lolita fashion styles? Do it. If you never try it, you will regret it.

It is important to listen to that little voice inside of you. It is important to hear other options to help you decide. This fashion is a great way to discover and celebrate you. No one knows you like you!

And there you have it; those are my three topics. What are the three topics of advice you would tell newbie Lolita self? What wisdom do you want to share? I would love to read your answers below!

​Stay Frilly,